Surveying her new classroom midway through the week, Elizabeth felt butterflies about being a new teacher in this town again. Almost twenty years ago she arrived for the first time when it was known as Coal Valley. She thought back to teaching in the Saloon, when the town had been in mourning after the mine explosion. So many families had lost their husbands, fathers, and sons. Life had not been easy on the frontier, but she had come to love the people and grown as a woman and educator. Falling in love with Jack Thornton as they served the community together, had been the highlight of Elizabeth's young life. He had built her a real school that also served as the church; but growth and pressure from the school district had led to the new building she was standing in at that moment. She had moved back to Hamilton before the school was completed or Jack Jr had even started his education.

Taking a seat at the teacher's desk, Elizabeth was still unsure how much longer she even saw herself working. Allie was only taking a one-year leave of absence for now, so her short-term contract could be over at the end of the school year. Since she didn't need the money with twenty years of retirement saved up and her share of the inheritance from the Thatchers, Elizabeth had considered switching her focus to other endeavors. Inspiration to write had suddenly reappeared after not even trying for many years. As she gained in years and wisdom, she found her priorities shifting; a desire to do all the things on her list before she was too old was starting to come alive deep inside of her.

Startled by the front door of the school slamming closed, Elizabeth jumped up to see who would be coming to the school. She was pleasantly surprised to see Allie walk in the classroom and almost jumped, since she was not expecting anyone either. "Hello Allie, you are looking much better than last week. What are you up to today?"

"Elizabeth, hello," she answered, with a hand at her heart as it calmed back down after the scare. She moved over to the bookshelf in the corner. "I just came to get a couple books I left here and wanted to read. What do you think of the new school?"

Walking down the aisles of desks, she thought for a moment. "It is definitely bigger and more equipped to be a school than the church Jack built, but we had a lot of really good times there didn't we?"

"Of course!" Allie concurred. "Robert and I were married in the church, because technically it was the first place we ever met and spent time getting to know each other. I don't know where I would be without him in my life."

A huge smile formed on the lips of the teacher who had seen the early stages of attraction between two of her favorite students in Hope Valley. "I had a feeling about you two, even when he was giving some attention to Anna. I think he was just trying to see how you really felt. I don't know why we ever feel the need to play games when it comes to dating and courtship. It would be so much better if all involved could just be open and honest about their feelings."

Allie nodded with a little knowing look, then got an idea. "Are you about to go home?" she asked. "I just got back from the doctor and picked up more tea for my dad's leg which he'll need after his bath and before he goes to the worksite. I'm meeting Robert for lunch, but thought you could drop this off at the house for me? If no one comes to the door, you can just go inside and put it on the counter."

Hoping to see Nathan at some point during the day, Elizabeth readily agreed to perform the task for Allie. "Of course, I will," she replied, trying not to seem too enthusiastic. "I was just checking out the classroom to see what preparations I need to make before the end of summer."

"You are welcome to any and all resources I have here already," Allie assured her. "But I also don't want you to feel obligated to keep anything you don't want either. I'm grateful you are the one taking over the class for me while I take some time off to be with the baby."

Elizabeth put her arm around Allie and gave her a light squeeze. "You are going to be so happy to have all that time with your little one. I'm excited to try teaching the older class in this school for at least a year. I know when that time is up, we will both know what direction to take. Now, I better get going so Nathan gets his tea." After grabbing the books she had been searching for, Allie walked with Elizabeth until they reached main street and Robert joined his wife to go to lunch at the cafe.

As she approached the row houses, Elizabeth felt a wave of anticipation as she thought about seeing Nathan again. He was finally getting over his sickness and trying to get back into physical therapy for his leg, but still hadn't regained enough energy for walks to the pond. Most of the groundwork for their house was wrapping up, and Nathan had been finalizing the house plans from home so framing could begin the following week. Jack had been giving Nathan status reports, since Lee had been driving him to the worksite each afternoon.

At the front door, Elizabeth paused and took a deep breath before lightly knocking. No one answered, so she tried again. Somewhat disappointed when there was still no answer, she opened the unlocked door and slipped inside. Halfway to the kitchen counter, Elizabeth stopped in her tracks when Nathan appeared in just a robe with dripping wet hair fresh from a bath.

After his therapy exercises, Nathan soaked in the tub and was pleasantly surprised how much better his leg was even though he had been down with a cold for the better part of a week. He wasn't even using his cane to get around the house, and he felt strength returning more every day. Nathan thought he heard a knocking sound when he was drying off and wrapping in his robe but ignored it and drained the water before wandering out to get dressed in his room. Right before he reached his bedroom door, he nearly fell down when he saw Elizabeth standing in the kitchen.

"Uh, sorry. I was just bringing your tea. Allie told me to just come in…" Elizabeth knew her cheeks were bright red, but she struggled to pull her eyes away from Nathan's partially bare chest and legs. She could smell the fresh scent of his soap and had an overwhelming desire to run her fingers through his unruly hair. Finally forcing herself out of the trance she was in, Elizabeth turned around and stammered: "I'll just set this down and be on my way."

Nathan cleared his throat, realizing how he must look. "Elizabeth, let me go get dressed and then we can have some tea together." He went into his room and closed the door, chuckling at how awkward he unintentionally made Elizabeth feel. He quickly dressed into a striped button-down shirt, slacks and suspenders. He finished off his look with socks and comfortable house shoes. Nathan looked in the mirror and combed his hair, frowning at the growing patches of gray on the sides. When did I suddenly get old? he thought to himself. But one thing was for certain; he felt more alive and younger than he had in years when he was with Elizabeth. Walking quietly into the kitchen, Nathan had a vision of what his future could be.

Trying to distract herself, Elizabeth started boiling water and searched the cabinets to find peppermint tea for herself; she hoped it would help calm her down a bit. When the kettle was just about to whistle, she turned around to see a fully dressed Nathan just watching her. "Hi," she barely voiced, still feeling slightly embarrassed from catching him somewhat exposed. Her heart raced at how handsome he always looked. "Sit down. Let me pour the tea."

"Thank you." Nathan sat as she brought over the heated water and cups. "My apologies for not being decent when you came in. Allie said she was having lunch with Robert, so I thought I would have the house to myself. And since when does she leave the door unlocked?"

Understanding dawned on Elizabeth and she looked at Nathan with a smirk. "That sneaky little matchmaker just played us, didn't she? Although, I'm not sure walking in on you before you were dressed was part of her plan." Giggles erupted between them both, Nathan almost choking on the sip of tea he had just taken.

When they got a hold of themselves, Nathan reached out and took Elizabeth's hand. "It's been a long time coming, but I was wondering if I could take you out on a real date Saturday. Along with that, I want it out in the open that we are in an official relationship. No games or pretenses. Life is too short."

"I agree, and I accept your date invitation." Elizabeth squeezed his hand and smiled as their eyes met and both felt nervous excitement about their future. "You know Allie is going to think she did this, right?" Nathan rolled his eyes, and another round of laughter began but was interrupted by Allie and Robert bursting in the front door.

They moved toward the stairs and Robert explained: "Allie started feeling a little nauseous and tired, so we decided to come home instead of eating out. I'm going to get her settled into bed before going back to work."

Elizabeth stood and jumped into action. "Let me make some lunch for all of you. Allie really needs to eat to keep her strength up, and the rest of you need nourishment as well. I'll do a little inventory here, and if we need anything else I'll go get it next door."

"That's very sweet Elizabeth, but I don't want to put you out," Allie worried. "A light lunch usually helps the nausea, and I am starving."

Nathan looked worried, his eyes darting back and forth between the two women. "I'll help with lunch since I know where everything is in the kitchen." Allie nodded and slowly climbed the stairs to her room.

Working together, Nathan helped Elizabeth make a delicious summer salad with a slice of bread. They arranged a tray for Robert and Allie, then Elizabeth took it upstairs while Nathan plated some for the two of them to enjoy in the kitchen. As soon as Allie had eaten and fallen asleep, Robert slipped out to go back to the Mountie office. Elizabeth told Nathan to rest while she went home and attended to a few necessary tasks. She promised later in the afternoon he could go check on things at the house building site with Jack.

After all the dishes were put away, Elizabeth walked to the door with Nathan following closely behind. She turned around and suddenly realized something she hadn't since she arrived. "Nathan! You haven't been using your cane!"

"Took you that long to notice, huh?" he chuckled. "I will probably still take it with me on longer walks, but I'm gaining strength every day. I don't want to regress, so I'm not pushing beyond what feels completely comfortable."

Tears welled up in Elizabeth's eyes and she wrapped her arms around Nathan. "This is the best news ever."

Nathan closed his eyes, pulling her closer and resting his chin on her head familiarly. He knew he could get used to this but wouldn't let himself get too comfortable just yet. He had been shielding his heart for over a decade and knew only time could melt away the fear of opening himself up to love. He had started falling for this woman before, but he was left shattered and broken emotionally when she chose another man. Now he was physically damaged but determined to come out on the other side stronger; to try new things that would bring meaning back into his life.

"As much as I would like to stay like this longer, I really do need to get home. You are still building your strength back, so please go get some rest." Elizabeth let go and stepped toward the door. "See you later. Let me know if you or Allie need anything." Nathan nodded and silently watched her close the distance between the two homes and go inside hers. He turned his thoughts to Saturday and what he would plan for the first date of their official courtship.

While meeting at the worksite Friday afternoon, Jack and Nathan sat on Elizabeth's log and went over the blueprints so they could give a final lumber order to Lee. Working together had been a lot of fun and didn't really feel like work for either one of them. Nathan had been working up his nerve to bring up his date with Elizabeth to Jack, but he was running out of time since it was now happening the next day. He wasn't sure why he was so nervous to have this conversation with a teenage boy, but it felt important.

"Hey, um, so Jack I wanted to talk to you about something." Nathan shifted and began rubbing his bad leg out of habit. "You know I've been spending a little time with your mom getting to know her again. Well, I've asked her to go out with me tomorrow on a real date. We don't want to hide anything from our families, and you are all your mom has left. I feel like the right thing to do would be to ask your permission to date her and see where it goes."

Very thoughtful for a few moments, Jack tried to curb his excitement at the possibility of having a real family if things went well. "What are your intentions with my mother, Mr. Grant?" he tried to say with a very serious look on his face. "Honestly, all I really want is for my mom to be happy. I've already seen her happier in the past month than she's been in a really long time. Just don't hurt her, or I'll have to hurt you."

Nathan nearly burst into laughter trying to picture what Jack had just described but fell back on his training to show no emotion. "She is lucky to have such a loyal son. I can't promise you the outcome we both might want, but I will commit to never intentionally hurting your mother…or you."

Jack held out his hand to shake the hand of the man he hoped would become more than just a mentor and friend. "You have my blessing to date my mother, but just so you know she is probably scared. Don't give up on her or us. Love is worth fighting for, right? That's what she always told me."

His head shot up, absorbing the fact that Elizabeth had passed their same philosophy on love to her son. "She said that, huh. Well, I guess we'll see how much fight I have left in me." He moved his attention back to the blueprints and grabbed the notepad Jack had used to write notes for Lee. When he finished checking the order for accuracy, he mindlessly began flipping through the book and stopped on a sketched almost-perfect likeness of Sarah Wolf. "You've been holding out on me."

All color drained from Jack's face as he ripped his drawing pad away from Nathan. "Sorry, I just…no one knows I even draw, not even Mom. And Sarah…"

"Hey," Nathan responded, grabbing Jack's shoulders. "Your secret is safe with me. But why wouldn't you want anyone to know?"

"If Sarah found out, she would think I was some sort of stalker or something," Jack started to explain.

"No, not about Sarah," Nathan clarified. "Everyone already knows you have a thing for her. I was talking about your amazing artistic talent. I am pretty limited to drawing things like homes, but I am impressed with the way you can make a realistic portrait."

Jack shrugged. "My dad was a really talented artist, even illustrating some of my mom's stories for her first book. I just thought if my mom found out it would make her sad or something, because it would make her think about him. Things were just so different in Hamilton, but here I feel like I have been able to open up to her more; maybe it is time she knew more about my interests and plans for the future. But we better get our list to Lee, so the order will be ready next week."

"Ok, I'll let it go for now," Nathan promised. "But this discussion isn't over." They made their way back to town with Jack becoming more comfortable driving Nathan's car every time they had a lesson. They took their lumber order to Lee's office. After arriving at the row houses, Jack walked back to the livery to ride Newton and Nathan went inside to make final preparations for his date the next day.

At 11:00 the next morning, Nathan had the car packed and ready to go. He wore a casual blue outfit he knew Elizabeth thought brought out his eyes, and his hair was perfectly styled. He hadn't felt this anxious about a date in his entire life. So much was riding on their time together, and they had barely had a chance for any deep conversations or alone time since the day of their walk and breakfast together. He couldn't get their first kiss out of his head but hadn't been brave enough to even attempt it since that day.

Examining her reflection in the mirror one last time, Elizabeth felt satisfied with the way she looked in her yellow summer dress with a light blue floral pattern. She had pinned her hair up to keep cool in the July heat wave that had hit Hope Valley a few days before and finished the look with her favorite simple pearl necklace and earrings set. She smiled as she thought about the conversation with Jack Jr the night before, when he told her Nathan had asked his permission to date her. Taking a deep breath, she walked downstairs to wait. Jack had already left to spend the day with Daniel and Daisy at their favorite swimming hole to try and stay cool. Lee and Rosemary had offered to let him stay at their place for most of the afternoon, and he was excited to be with his "cousins".

Nathan walked up to the front door and knocked, but nearly fell over when Elizabeth answered. "Wow," he gaped. "You look incredible."

Blushing, Elizabeth reached out and straightened Nathan's collar. "And you look handsome, as usual. Now, where are you taking me?"

"Technically it is where you are taking me," he admitted with a wink. "You don't mind driving for me, do you? I really think by next month my leg will be well enough to control the car on my own, but for now I need your help."

Elizabeth locked her front door and slipped her arm through his as they walked to the car. "You'll have to give me directions, because I still have no idea what your plans are for us today." Nathan opened the car door and let her inside, then joined her in the passenger seat. She easily pulled the car onto the road and followed his directions.

As the elevation rose, the air started feeling cooler and the scenery was enhanced. Elizabeth parked the car where she was instructed to and waited for Nathan to open her door. He asked for help getting the picnic basket and blanket from the car, then they walked a short distance to a beautiful lookout spot. "Wow, how did you know about this place? I've never been up here before."

"I am, or was, a Mountie; part of my job is to explore the countryside. I've never told anyone about it before. I used to come up here and think, back when I first met you," he confessed. "I haven't been back here for a really long time. I'm starving, so let's get this picnic set up." They spread out the blanket, and Nathan set out their lunch consisting of chicken salad sandwiches, fruit, and soda.

"Did you make this yourself," she teased. "It really does look wonderful. Thanks for bringing me up here, and for giving us a second chance."

As he opened a soda bottle and took a drink, Nathan's thoughts turned to his past and second chances. "When my sister died, my mother was in poor health, and my father was in prison, I was working so hard to climb the ranks in the Mounties and really make a name for myself. I didn't want anyone to associate the Grant name with gambling, stealing, or crime ever again. I was so worried about what other people thought of me; but all of that changed when I made the decision to take Allie in and raise her as my own. Even though my career was important, titles didn't matter as much to me as keeping others safe and raising Allie." Not wanting to interrupt his thoughts, Elizabeth gave a look of encouragement for him to continue. "You remember when my father came to town, and we reconciled? That was the moment I knew you were the woman for me. No one had ever really seen me or understood what I was going through with my family before, but you actually cared and helped me get several years of our relationship back before he passed away. I never did thank you for that."

"Nathan," Elizabeth reached out and touched his arm. "You did all of that yourself. I was there to listen and maybe give a few suggestions, but I know what a strong person you are and that is what helped repair things between you and your father. I'm sorry to hear Archie passed; I liked him. What about your mother? I know she wasn't up to taking care of Allie back then due to her health."

He finished swallowing a strawberry and shook his head. "She died shortly after I took the Inspector position in Union City. Luckily, Allie and I went to visit her at my aunt's house out east before we got settled in the city. A few months later we got word she was gone. That trip was priceless, and we were able to clear the air about everything. She told me how proud she was of me, and how grateful she was that Allie had someone there for her when no one else could be. Her only regret was that I hadn't found love. But I told her I had fallen in love with a woman, but it just wasn't meant to be at the time. You know what she told me?"

"Love is always worth fighting for?" Elizabeth muttered, sorrow from past mistakes rushing back.

Nathan nodded, almost reading her thoughts. "We can't go back, Elizabeth. But we can move forward and try to fight harder this time."

"You know, I came west the first time, partly to prove my parents wrong. They weren't always supportive of my teaching, or my taste in men. Jack wasn't their first choice for me to marry, but he was finally accepted by them. When he died, they asked me to go back home; but I just couldn't leave this place. When I met you, I felt safe again for the first time since losing him. You were this selfless and brave man, and I really wanted to get to know you better; but I got distracted."

Silence ensued as the two of them sat deep in thought while enjoying their meal. "Before dessert, let's walk a little further over where you can really see the valley. Plus, I really need to walk the stiffness out of my leg before we drive back home again."

Conversation turned to the house and their interest in books. Nathan had brought his cane to make sure he kept steady on the rocky trail. Elizabeth kept hold of his other arm just in case and couldn't believe what a spectacular view she was witnessing. "So, when you used to come up here by yourself, what kind of things did you think about?"

Looking out at the view then back at her, Nathan simply answered, "You."

"Oh," she whispered, looking into his eyes. "Good things, I hope."

"I beat myself up all the time, wondering how I let myself love the widow and son of the Constable I let replace me and die. I wanted to fix everything for not only you and Jack, but also Allie. Some people told me I was selfish and just wanted you for myself; they said others could provide you more than I ever could. Sadly, I believed them. When the successful prisoner transfer caught the eye of my superiors, I decided to just keep my focus on Allie and my career. It went against all of my instincts not to fight for you, for us."

A lock of hair fell onto Nathan's forehead from a gust of wind, and Elizabeth followed her own instincts to run her fingers through his hair. "I think I know who might have discouraged you, and I am so sorry I didn't see right through him. Even though the two of us have missed out on time together, I am very grateful I was able to be there for my parents when they needed me most. I guess we've both experienced loss during our time apart."

"We both deserve to focus on our happiness at this point in our lives, don't we?" Nathan ran the back of his hand down her jawline. "You are so beautiful, 'Lisbeth," he murmured, pressing his lips to her cheek and moving his body closer to hers. He moved his lips to her ear and whispered, "How did you not age at all in 10 years?" His hand explored her bare neck and let it settle into the back of her hair as he looked deeply into her eyes.

Elizabeth's heart was racing, especially when Nathan said her name in a way that always made her melt. His gentle touch overtook her senses, and all she wanted was to be kissed the way he had before. Unable to speak, she let her eyes do the talking as she gazed down at his lips then moved her hands behind his neck and urged his mouth closer to hers. Her lips eagerly met his in another explosion of pure emotion. It was meek and sweet, not the strong passionate kind like the first one they shared, but both still felt the same connection and spark. As their lips parted, they stood in an embrace enjoying the view for a while, just soaking in the closeness and feeling of being together.

"Come on, let's go get some dessert," Nathan finally encouraged, taking Elizabeth's hand and leading her back to where their picnic was set up under a large, shady tree. "Now, this is a dessert I used to make for Allie and is probably the best thing I can bake." He pulled out a layered chocolate cake and cut two pieces.

Elizabeth smiled, remembering how Allie loved chocolate cupcakes back when she was her student. She suppressed a giggle and tilted her head. "Do you remember what we do with frosting?" Before she allowed him to answer, Elizabeth wiped a finger of frosting on his nose, much to his surprise.

"You did not just do that." Nathan feigned annoyance and got his own finger full of frosting and wiped it on Elizabeth's cheek. A round of giggles began, and a few more rounds of frosting to the face occurred. Once they called a truce, Elizabeth grabbed a napkin and began cleaning off her face, then worked on his. After they were all cleaned up, they took everything back to the car and prepared to drive back home. "There are so many things I want to share with you; things I want to experience when my leg will allow me to do more. Thanks for coming here with me today, so I could finally stop wondering what could have been. Instead of just thinking about you here, I got to experience this place with you."

Before getting inside the car, Elizabeth lightly kissed Nathan's lips. "We still have a lot of life left to live." She hopped inside and asked, "Where to next?"